1 pleads in Moon Lake vandalism

August 28, 2002|By Mark Beardslee

The case received some high-profile attention because the perpetrators' vandalism included spray-painted racial slurs and references to Osama bin Laden. Home entertainment equipment and food items were stolen during the robbery.

Police believe Pietryka's plea and testimony will help them bring charges against others believed to have been involved in the break-in. Pietryka had been charged with second-degree home invasion, a 15-year felony. But in a plea agreement, the charge was lessened to larceny in a building, which carries a maximum four years in prison and a $2,000 fine.

The reason for the agreement is that police suspect two other Lewiston men, one of them a juvenile, of having committed the greater acts of vandalism. Oscoda County Sheriff Det. Bruce Graff said Pietryka admitted to stealing beer from a refrigerator in the home but not to ransacking the home, causing an estimated $30,000 worth of damage.

"He pled guilty with the agreement that he would testify against the other two," said Graff.

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All Graff would say about the remaining two suspects is, "We're going to have warrants and we're going to pick them up." He said he expects the charges to be brought "within a day or two."

Those charges will be second-degree home invasion - a 15-year felony - and a second charge related to ethnic intimidation.

"I believe there will be a second charge just as soon as we can figure out the exact wording of it," Graff said. "Whether the statute for (ethnic intimidation) fits exactly to (what was done) remains a question. But either way you look at it, they're getting the home invasion charge. The big one is the home invasion; they're going to do the time on (it)."

Graff pointed out that ethnic intimidation carries a lesser penalty than home invasion but that it was important for him to pursue the charge nonetheless.

"That isn't going to occur in my county," he said. "You come in here and start writing that stuff on people's walls, you're going to get charged."